Repercussions to come
Chromium poses a severe health risk and drinking water polluted with it could cause acute poisoning. But the authorities say, so far, no chromium has been detected in local water sources.
However, Liu Xiaoduan, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, said that people could have ingested chromium VI by eating plants grown in contaminated soil.
According to a report by Qianjiang Evening News, at least 17 residents in Xinglong village, which is 2 kilometers from the dumpsites, died from cancer in 2009.
The output of tobacco leaf, which was the main income source of the local villagers, has dropped sharply in the past few years due to the pollution, said Wang Kaicai, a villager of Xinglong.
The villagers said they had petitioned local authorities about the dumping more than 1,000 times, but each time they were ignored.
